Meh, any farmer/rancher will kill your dog if they get onto their property and endanger their livestock. They just will, and it will be the dog owner's fault. It's why you need to pen or restrain your dogs on your own property.

"I want answers," said Fluit. "They were my pets and my family, any decent human being would have just called. I'm not letting it go."

Any decent human being wouldn't let their very large and potentially dangerous dogs slaughter their neighbors goats. The fact that those dogs are dead are entirely the dog owner's fault: The goats were in a pen, not wondering around, and the dogs had (probably) killed one of the goats the day before. An attentive owner would have noticed blood on their fur.

When I was a toddler, our family dog killed the neighbor's chickens. Dad had to pay for he chickens and relocate the dog. The neighbor would have been within his rights to shoot our dog if he'd caught him in the act. The idea that the neighbor should have called my dad then sat there watching our dog kill his chickens until my dad was able to get there and get the dog under control is absurd but that's what Amy Fluit seems to think should have happened in her case.

If you don't want someone to shoot your livestock-killing dogs, control your dogs.

If she keeps up her dumb coontery, Mike Bus should sue her for the value of the goats her animals killed. He may not be able to prove liability for the earlier attack but there's no question about the last attack.

basemetal:Meh, any farmer/rancher will kill your dog if they get onto their property and endanger their livestock. They just will, and it will be the dog owner's fault. It's why you need to pen or restrain your dogs on your own property.

Indeed...I don't know a state where it's not only legal but expected that a livestock owner will shoot a predator caught going after their stock. In my home state it's legal to hunt down the predator after the fact (including someone's pet or otherwise). I've more than one friend/neighbor that has dropped off the neighbors dog on their porch along with a bill for whatever the dog killed (chickens usually, but goats, sheep and even a foal). I typically keep game cameras out for just this purpose. That last thing I need is some stupid dog killing a couple thousand dollars worth of stock for fun (they rarely eat it...it's just for sport). That said, most dogs won't do this if they've been around farms/stock. My neighbors all have dogs and they would sooner protect the local stock than kill it. Nice to have them around to keep coyotes at bay.

Your dogs killed one goat, and then were in the process of eating another. What part of that is difficult to understand?

Maybe this is the key: "The younger ones don't quite get it," Fluit said. "And it hasn't completely sunk in yet because we haven't been home since it happened."

I would bet that they went away on vacation, left the dogs with some food and/or water but the dogs got loose when they weren't there. My asshat neighbors did this with their two labs all the time and they'd eventually wander the neighborhood when they ran out of food and water. Or perhaps they had someone doggy sitting who was careless and left a gate unlatched or door not shut.

basemetal:Meh, any farmer/rancher will kill your dog if they get onto their property and endanger their livestock. They just will, and it will be the dog owner's fault. It's why you need to pen or restrain your dogs on your own property.

Yep.

CSB:

When I was about 17, we lived in the Tehachapi mountains in CA and I worked for one of our neighbors who owned several hundred acres and about 40 head of cattle. Another neighbor on the lower part of the mountain was notorious for letting his dogs roam. We were coming home one afternoon and spotted two of the dogs chasing some calves about 200 yards below us in a ravine. "John" hits the brakes, pulls his lever-action 30-30 from behind the seat and nails the first dog. As the second dogs starts fleeing "John" whistles real loud and the dog stopped to look. Fatal mistake. "John" nails the bastard and sent me down the ravine to retrieve the dead dogs and I threw them in the back of the truck. We turned around and dropped the carcasses off at the other neighbor's gate. The other neighbor never said a word about it.

I'm going to go way out on a psychological limb and say that you don't shoot all three of your next-door neighbor's dogs, after they've killed your prize goats and without anyone or anything else in danger, unless at least one of the following things is true.

1) You really farking hate your neighbors already,2) You were really psyched to get to shoot a bunch of giant dogs, or3) You were so blinded with rage over the loss of your show-goats that you went into that red mist for a while, and when you came out all the dogs were dead and you were holding a smoking rifle.

These weren't wolves, or foxes, or even strays. If it happened any way remotely like what's described in the article, the goat-shower is either a malicious asshole, or way too quick on the trigger finger. Or both.

That said,

Fluit says she won't be satisfied until she knows why her dogs are dead

You know exactly why your dogs are dead, and why they'd still be alive if they had anyone but you for an owner. Satisfied?

If the dogs had already killed one goat the day before and then another goat the day they were shot, who knows what they would have done if they were left alive to continue on. Yesterday a goat, today a goat, tomorrow a kid?

Dazrin:If the dogs had already killed one goat the day before and then another goat the day they were shot, who knows what they would have done if they were left alive to continue on. Yesterday a goat, today a goat, tomorrow a kid?

semiotix:I'm going to go way out on a psychological limb and say that you don't shoot all three of your next-door neighbor's dogs, after they've killed your prize goats and without anyone or anything else in danger, unless at least one of the following things is true.

1) You really farking hate your neighbors already,2) You were really psyched to get to shoot a bunch of giant dogs, or3) You were so blinded with rage over the loss of your show-goats that you went into that red mist for a while, and when you came out all the dogs were dead and you were holding a smoking rifle.

These weren't wolves, or foxes, or even strays. If it happened any way remotely like what's described in the article, the goat-shower is either a malicious asshole, or way too quick on the trigger finger. Or both.

That said,

Fluit says she won't be satisfied until she knows why her dogs are dead

You know exactly why your dogs are dead, and why they'd still be alive if they had anyone but you for an owner. Satisfied?

I disagree. The owners were not in town and I doubt they left their phone number with the goat owner. If there is no ordinance prohibiting dogs roaming free and it's the second goat killed on two days, it's pretty safe to assume the dogs will attack again. Why must the goat owner wait until another goat is being killed to defend them? He can't wait out there to catch them because they probably won't attack while he's watching, and he has better things to do. Besides, livestock have more legal protection than your dog.

"I want answers," said Fluit. "They were my pets and my family, any decent human being would have just called. I'm not letting it go."

She's right to not let it go. Because she owes them $600 for the dead goats and damages for the pain and suffering caused by finding the dogs eating a goat in its pen. Plus criminal penalties if what was said about it being a federal crime is correct so plan on taking some time off to go to club fed. Maybe a couple of billy club shampoos and a few months of random body cavity searches will cure her of her sanctimoniousness.

semiotix:I'm going to go way out on a psychological limb and say that you don't shoot all three of your next-door neighbor's dogs, after they've killed your prize goats and without anyone or anything else in danger, unless at least one of the following things is true.

1) You really farking hate your neighbors already,2) You were really psyched to get to shoot a bunch of giant dogs, or3) You were so blinded with rage over the loss of your show-goats that you went into that red mist for a while, and when you came out all the dogs were dead and you were holding a smoking rifle.

These weren't wolves, or foxes, or even strays. If it happened any way remotely like what's described in the article, the goat-shower is either a malicious asshole, or way too quick on the trigger finger. Or both.

It doesn't take a wolf, fox or stray to make a bad canine. Many dog owners are pieces of shiat who don't look after their hounds.

/I've left the rest of your comment in because it's troof.

That said,

Fluit says she won't be satisfied until she knows why her dogs are dead

You know exactly why your dogs are dead, and why they'd still be alive if they had anyone but you for an owner. Satisfied?

semiotix:I'm going to go way out on a psychological limb and say that you don't shoot all three of your next-door neighbor's dogs, after they've killed your prize goats and without anyone or anything else in danger, unless at least one of the following things is true.

1) You really farking hate your neighbors already,2) You were really psyched to get to shoot a bunch of giant dogs, or3) You were so blinded with rage over the loss of your show-goats that you went into that red mist for a while, and when you came out all the dogs were dead and you were holding a smoking rifle.

These weren't wolves, or foxes, or even strays. If it happened any way remotely like what's described in the article, the goat-shower is either a malicious asshole, or way too quick on the trigger finger. Or both.

Just because the animal belongs to the neighbors doesn't change the fact there's an animal killing your livestock. The livestock owner is well within their rights to defend their property. I'm not surprised he chose to shoot the dogs. Would you want to go out there and try to corral three very large dogs displaying aggressive behavior? For all he knew the dogs might have turned on him if he'd tried that.

I doubt he's some trigger happy nut or that he shot the dogs out of malice. I'm sure he was extremely pissed off though. I'm also sure his actions were very deliberate. He'd already lost two animals and wasn't going to give the dogs a chance to come back and do more damage. The first time might have been an isolated incident. The second time shows they're not going to stop and that the owners can't control them.

Unfortunately once dogs get a taste for killing livestock it's difficult to break them of the habit.

My landlord raises Boer goats and cattle, and he's two big Pyranees dogs that chase the coyotes away. They're big, slobbery love dogs, but do not mess with the herd. That's their babies and they're very protective.

When he had to replace a deceased (it had a long, happy farm life) working dog with a new one, he ended up shooting the new dog because it killed two baby goats. That "baby animal killing thing" is not something you can train away with obedience classes. If a dog will kill one animal, it'll kill another.

semiotix:I'm going to go way out on a psychological limb and say that you don't shoot all three of your next-door neighbor's dogs, after they've killed your prize goats and without anyone or anything else in danger, unless at least one of the following things is true.

1) You really farking hate your neighbors already,2) You were really psyched to get to shoot a bunch of giant dogs, or3) You were so blinded with rage over the loss of your show-goats that you went into that red mist for a while, and when you came out all the dogs were dead and you were holding a smoking rifle.

These weren't wolves, or foxes, or even strays. If it happened any way remotely like what's described in the article, the goat-shower is either a malicious asshole, or way too quick on the trigger finger. Or both.

Because when you've got freakin' Cujo stalking your livestock, you don't take a chance on losing any more goats or seeing what else they might want to kill next. The neighbor wasn't sure if it was just one or all 3 dogs killing his livestock, the dogs' owners were out of town--forget it. Put down the goddamn dogs. And I'm a dog lover!

Something else to consider: What would make a St. Bernard go after a goat? Weren't the dogs being cared for while the owners were away? Were they being fed? They're herding dogs, bred to PROTECT livestock, not kill them. They're not known for being aggressive at all.

Unfortunately once dogs get a taste for killing livestock it's difficult to break them of the habit.

=========

Domestic dogs are descended from wolves. Domestic dogs retain a lot of their wolf ancestor instincts. Too many farkwits believe that cute, little Fluffy would never do anything like run with a pack, bring down a deer and rip its guts open......but that's just what Fluffy will do if given a chance.

That guy was an asshole for shooting the dogs. On the other hand, keep your farking dogs in your yard and always know where they are.I have 4 dogs and know where they are and what they're doing ALWAYS.

This woman probably also has bratty kids that run around stores and restaurants screaming like banshees while she sits oblivious.

/when the fence don't work/isn't there, a slug will fix that//as much as I like dogs, this was fully fair and well deserved///and is it just me, our does the story lets on that it was a multiple occurrence that the dogs attacked the goats?

Psycoholic_Slag:basemetal: Meh, any farmer/rancher will kill your dog if they get onto their property and endanger their livestock. They just will, and it will be the dog owner's fault. It's why you need to pen or restrain your dogs on your own property.

Yep.

CSB:

When I was about 17, we lived in the Tehachapi mountains in CA and I worked for one of our neighbors who owned several hundred acres and about 40 head of cattle. Another neighbor on the lower part of the mountain was notorious for letting his dogs roam. We were coming home one afternoon and spotted two of the dogs chasing some calves about 200 yards below us in a ravine. "John" hits the brakes, pulls his lever-action 30-30 from behind the seat and nails the first dog. As the second dogs starts fleeing "John" whistles real loud and the dog stopped to look. Fatal mistake. "John" nails the bastard and sent me down the ravine to retrieve the dead dogs and I threw them in the back of the truck. We turned around and dropped the carcasses off at the other neighbor's gate. The other neighbor never said a word about it.

We had real white trshy neighbors who let their dogs run in packs and in the wild. They made the big mistake of slaughtering and eating our piglets. Uncle comes out with a 12 guage boom, boom, boom, boom and boom. Neighbors couldn't say anything because they were in trouble before with those dogs.

I can't remember how many times I was tasked with running livestock (neighbors', family's, and our own) out of the vegetable garden in my youth. Even though they had often completely destroyed everything after breaking down the fence, it never once occurred to me to shoot an animal, especially one belonging to someone else.